Artificial gills extract oxygen from water
An Israeli scientist has developed an "artifical gill" that is able to extract oxygen from seawater, potentially allowing divers to breathe underwater without a tank. However, many details still remain to be worked out before the device is suitable for regular underwater use. The device, called LikeAFish, lowers the pressure of seawater using a high-speed centrifuge. Oxygen is then separated from the water and stored in a bag for breathing. While the system may be a technical breakthrough, it imposes its own limits on divers, including the need for a heavy-duty battery and confidence that the water being processed isn't polluted or lacking in oxygen. For those reasons, the developer, Alon Bodner, is focusing much of his efforts on underwater habitats, theorizing that they would already have a reliable energy source, and would be located in spots where the oxygen levels in the water are consistent.
[Via the Raw Feed]
